Welcome to the Rotterdam Square newsletter, May edition
The Rotterdam Life Sciences & Health ecosystem continues to grow through collaboration. We are excited to share the latest updates from the region, along with inspiring upcoming events. In this issue, we feature an interview with the Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center and take a closer look at Rotterdam’s innovation hubs.
- Team Rotterdam Square |
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From blind spot to system change: The Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center |
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“Improving women’s health benefits everyone, not only women but society as a whole.”
What started, as the co-founders describe it, “with a box of T-shirts and a shared ambition,” has quickly grown into one of the Netherlands’ most visible women’s health initiatives. Founded just over a year ago at Erasmus MC, the Netherlands Women’s Health Research & Innovation Center is now testing a different way of organising healthcare innovation, moving from institutional silos toward a cross-sector ecosystem.
We spoke with co-founders Hanneke Takkenberg and Jeanine Roeters van Lennep about how the center is translating early momentum into system-level change in women’s health research, funding, and implementation. |
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Healthy Funding 2026 brings investors and startups together in Rotterdam
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On Thursday 16 April, Healthy Funding brought together leading investors and Life Sciences & Health startups at Postillion WTC Rotterdam for a day focused on connecting innovation with capital. The program featured investor insights, fundraising perspectives, and extensive one-on-one matchmaking sessions, resulting in over 200 meeting opportunities between startups and investors.
Read the full article for all insights and highlights from the day. |
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Ditto raised €7.6M to clarify healthcare journeys for you and your loved ones
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Ditto raised €7.6M to bring the app to more patients, in more countries. The round is led by Heal Capital, one of Europe’s leading healthtech investors, together with Rubio Impact Ventures. A combination of deep clinical credibility and a real impact mandate. Because the people who suffer most from medical miscommunication aren’t the well-informed; they’re the ones the system already overlooks. |
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BiotechNews features Rotterdam’s growing LSH ecosystem |
Rotterdam Square is featured in the spring edition of BiotechNews magazine (page 59). The article highlights Rotterdam’s growing Life Sciences & Health ecosystem, featuring Veya Medical’s innovative approach to cervical cancer prevention and LentiCure’s work on accessible gene therapies for rare diseases.
Read the full article to see how these companies are helping shape the future of healthcare innovation in Rotterdam. |
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Cardialysis Named “Top Cardiovascular Research Organization in Europe 2026” by Life Sciences Review Europe
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Cardialysis continues to play a key role in international cardiovascular research, contributing to major studies including FAST III, OPTIMAL, and IVUS-CHIP, presented at ACC26 and published in leading journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read the full interview with Cardialysis to learn more about its work in global cardiovascular innovation. |
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Rotterdam Square Life Science Cafe: exploring the brain through new perspectives |
On 7 May, Rotterdam Square hosted a brain-focused Life Science Café at Frame Offices Little C, bringing together innovators, researchers, and partners to explore the future of brain health. The programme featured talks on digital biomarkers, AI-driven neurodevelopmental care, and ultra-fast ultrasound for brain imaging and safer neurosurgery, followed by a networking reception full of new connections and ideas. |
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At Rotterdam Square, our hubs are more than just spaces. They are vibrant communities where innovation, collaboration, and growth come together across the city, with tailored facilities and direct access to the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem.
In this series, we go behind the scenes at Rotterdam’s innovation hubs, exploring the teams and communities shaping the city’s Life Sciences & Health landscape. This time, we focus on CIC Rotterdam. |
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“CIC is a global leader in building innovation communities. We offer more than space; we are a central hub where health-tech startups and scale-ups find support and partners.”
“CIC Rotterdam is particularly attractive because of the combination of flexible, ‘soft-landing’ infrastructure and a high-density cluster for Life Sciences & Health.”
“We believe proximity sparks growth. It’s a high-energy environment focused on giving you the connections needed to scale.” |
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Do you want to be featured in one of our upcoming newsletters? Contact us. |
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Rotterdam Square Life Science Café:
Summer edition! |
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Join us on Thursday, July 2, for our annual summer drinks event at the Rotterdam Square Life Science Café.
Expect inspiring entrepreneurs, great networking, and a festive start to summer, with a stunning 40-meter-high view over the entire city. |
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Pharma Innovation in
Biotech & Life Sciences
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Kadans Science Partner Plus Ultra Leiden |
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Rotterdam Square X CIC roundtable event |
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RAI Convention Centre,
Amsterdam |
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DSANJ Bio Conference
August 2026 |
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Do you want to receive invitations to Rotterdam Square events?
Sign up for our mailing list. |
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Rotterdam Square is the campus organization of the Erasmus MC Campus that connects the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem in the Rotterdam region. We bring together experts in healthcare, science and technology, from academia and industry, to accelerate Health&Tech innovations and create healthcare solutions for the future. Are you curious to see what we can do for you? Get in touch! |
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Dr. Molewaterplein 40
3015 GD Rotterdam
Netherlands |
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KVK number: 84218142 |
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